


Colours

by SugdenLovesDingle



Series: Robert Week 2019 [1]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: M/M, Teen AU, graffiti artist au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 14:34:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21120353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugdenLovesDingle/pseuds/SugdenLovesDingle
Summary: Robert week day 1 Work/ColoursRobert gets arrested for spraying graffiti in the village





	Colours

Robert put his hands on his hips and looked at the wall in front of him. Or rather, his mural. Or rather, what used to be his mural.

“Robert Sugden, drop that spray can. How many times do we have to do this?” A tired and annoyed voice said and made him turn around, only to see PC Swirling walking up to him.

“I didn’t do anything!”

“Sure. So if I were to look in your bag, I wouldn’t find any paint? And that spray can in your hand… isn’t yours? You just found it?”

“Well… no… but I didn’t do this. Well… I did… but… I had permission! And someone painted over it. And I was going to fix it.”

“You have permission?” Swirling sighed. “Who from?”

“Paddy! The vet who owns this place. He said I could do a mural to brighten it up and promote the business.”

“Paddy Kirk?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. Let’s go ask him then.”

“We… we can’t.”

“And why is that?”

“He’s at a conference in Germany. He left yesterday and won’t be back for another week…”

“And I don’t suppose you have a number for him in Germany?”

Robert shook his head.

PC Swirling sighed again.

“Alright, come on. You know the drill by now. We’ll call your parents from the station.”

“But I didn’t do anything!” Robert protested and reluctantly followed PC Swirling to his car.

“And I suppose you didn’t paint anything on the pub either? And the church?”

“The church was years ago! And it was just one time.”

“You’re going to have to be more careful kid, it’s not going to stay a slap on the wrists forever.” Swirling said and opened the car door for Robert and let him get in.

“I paid the fine for the church, didn’t I?”

“You mean your parents did.” Swirling noted as he got behind the wheel and started the car. “Put your seatbelt on.”

“Trust me, my dad made me pay it all back.”

“He probably thought you’d learn from it.” Swirling said, turning onto the main road out of the village.

Robert rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest. It wasn’t the first time he was in the back of PC Swirling’s patrol car and it probably wouldn’t be the last, but this time he hadn’t actually done anything.

He was sure though Jack wouldn’t believe him and he’d be grounded for the foreseeable when he found out.

When they got to the station, PC Swirling put him in an interview room instead of the holding cell he’d gotten to know a little too well over the years and PC Pierce got him a cup of tea.

“Any chance of a biscuit?” Robert tried, knowing the PC was one of the good guys. “I mean I get a last meal right?”

PC Pierce laughed.

“You’re not on death row, mate. But someone had a birthday today, I’ll see what’s left.”

About ten minutes later Swirling came back into the room.

“Looks like you’re in luck. I talked to your mum and she’s on her way to pick you up.”

“So I’m free to go?”

“After you’ve answered some questions.” PC Swirling said and sat down. “What were you doing when I picked you up?”

“Nothing.” Robert shrugged then rolled his eyes when the look on Swirling’s face told him he didn’t believe him. “I know how it looks ok? But I didn’t do it.”

“So why did you have the paint in your bag?”

“You looked through my bag? You had no right!”

“I had to make sure you didn’t have any weapons in there.” Swirling told him. “Why did your have those spray cans on you?”

“I always have them on me. For when inspiration strikes.”

“On the wall of a veterinary practise?”

“I had permission. And I only paint private property these days otherwise. On our farm.”

Swirling sighed.

“I believe you, kid, I do. But someone called in a complaint about graffiti in the village and I saw you standing there with the paint in your hand.”

“So? I wasn’t using it.”

“Do you know who did?”

“What? Who painted over my mural?” Robert asked and Swirling nodded. “No. No idea. It could’ve been anyone.”

“So you didn’t recognise the style or anything like that?” Swirling tried.

“Nope. No clue.”

“You’re not protecting a mate are you? Just tell me what you know and you won’t get in trouble.”

“I don’t know anything. And even if I did, why would I tell you and get someone else in trouble?”

Swirling rubbed his temples.

“Alright. Suit yourself.” He got up. “I’ll go see if your mum is here yet and write up an incident report. You’re probably looking at community service because this is the… I don’t know how many-eth time I’ve had to pick you up.”

Robert shrugged.

“Paddy won’t press charges.”

Swirling shook his head and opened the door, almost running right into PC Pierce.

“Oh! Er Sarah Sugden is at the front desk.” He stepped aside to let Swirling pass. “Here.” He told Robert, handing him a napkin with something folded into it. “The cake was gone but there were some brownies left.”

“I assure you Mrs Sugden, your son is fine.” Robert heard Swirling tell his mother as he was lead out to the front desk.

“Are you charging him with anything?”

“I caught him with a can of spray paint in his hands in front of a wall that had been vandalised.”

“Yes, so you said on the phone. But did you see him do anything?”

“No but I - ”

“Then we’re done here and I’d like to take my son home now.” Sarah said, using the same tone of voice she used at her three kids whenever she was angry with them. “Robert come on.” She said when she saw her son.

“They have my bag.”

“Could you give my son his bag back please?”

A few minutes of back and forth and Sarah signing what she needed to later, they were on their way back home.

“Did you tell dad?” Robert asked quietly.

“He’s not home. He and Andy went to that cattle market up north, remember? It’s just the three of us for tea tonight.”

“Right, right… Are you going to tell him when he gets home?”

“Tell him what? You didn’t do anything, did you?”

“No…”

Sarah quickly glanced sideways at her son.

“Robert…” She warned him.

“I didn’t do it!”

“But you know who did?” Sarah guessed.

“Maybe…”

“Then why didn’t you tell the police?”

“It’s complicated, alright mum? Just drop it, please.”

“Is it a mate?”

“Mum… please don’t make me say it…”

“I hope they appreciate you getting in trouble for them.”

“It’s fine. When Paddy comes back he’ll sort it.”

“Just… try not to get yourself arrested again, alright?” Sarah said and parked the car in front of the farm.

“I’ll do my best.” Robert promised and got out of the car, following his mother inside

“Did you get arrested again?” Robert’s sister Victoria asked when he walked into the kitchen.

“Are you doing your homework on a Friday?” Robert asked instead of answering his sister.

Victoria shrugged.

“It’s not much and this way I’ll have the whole weekend to do what I want.”

“You know Robert thinks he’s not allowed to do his homework until bedtime Sunday night.” Sarah teased.

“You mean I have my priorities in order.” Robert said and checked his phone for messages. “Mum do you mind if I go out for a bit? I’ll be back in time for tea.”

“Sure. Off you go.”

“Don’t get arrested!” Victoria called out as Robert grabbed his bag and walked out the door.

He wanted to talk to someone and he knew exactly where to find them.

An old abandoned farm just down the road from his home. He smiled to himself when he got there and saw he’d been right.

“Aaron Dingle, this is the police! Drop that spray can right now!” Robert yelled and laughed when the other boy jumped, dropped the spray can and prepared to run, before noticing it was Robert instead of the police.

“Bastard! You scared me half to death!”

“Serves you right.” Robert said and walked up to Aaron and kissed him hello. “I’m arresting you for vandalising your boyfriend’s mural and getting him arrested.”

“What? How did you know it was me?” Aaron asked.

“Are you kidding? I know your work when I see it. You might as well sign your name on it.”

Aaron raised an eyebrow.

“Oh yeah? What is it that stands out so much then?”

“It’s dark, you use a lot of black, and then you make the red pop. And you always sign it in blue. That little thing that looks like a paw print. You shouldn’t do that if you don’t want the police figuring it out by the way. They’re not as stupid as they seem.” Robert told him. “What? What’s that look?”

“Nothing. I just didn’t know you’d studied my art like that.”

Robert shrugged.

“I wanted to find the twat was destroying my work.”

“I wasn’t destroying it, I was improving it.”

“Improving it by painting over it?” Robert asked amused.

“Not completely.” Aaron argued and sat down with his back against the wall. “Did you get in a lot of trouble with your dad?”

Robert shook his head and sat down next to him.

“He’s taken Andy to some cattle market, they won’t be back until tomorrow. My mum picked me up. She said she wouldn’t tell him.”

Aaron nodded.

“Good. And the police?”

“They can’t prove anything. And Paddy will fix it when he’s back.”

“I can ask my mum if she has a number for him in Germany…” Aaron offered.

“It’s fine. I just have to keep my head down for a bit.”

“Yeah? You can give me your paint then, since you won’t be using it.”

Robert laughed.

“You wish. I have an idea for something big. Maybe we could do it together.” He said and dug through his pockets. “I made a sketch the other day… Got it!” He held out a folded up piece of paper and Aaron took it and spread it out on the ground in front of them.

“This looks interesting.” He said, studying Robert’s design. “Good interesting. It’s going to be massive though with all this detail.”

“I know. But it’ll be cool, don’t you think?”

Aaron nodded.

“Yeah but where did you want to put it? It’s huge, you’re going to need lots of free space.”

“I think the wall of the old barn would be big enough.”

“What? Here? But who would see it here? Nobody comes up here.”

“I know. I kind of made it for us. Just for you and me.”

“Really?” Aaron asked, a smile creeping onto his face. “Soft lad.”

Robert shrugged and leaned in to kiss Aaron again.

“You love it.”


End file.
